Category Archives: Dallas Cowboys

The old saying has often been “too many guy’s get into the Hall of Fame”. The new truth is, not enough players are getting that call. We have so much more information about today’s athletes and the history of the NFL than ever before. An average of six men per year have been inducted over the past 20 seasons. That comes across as a reasonable number. If you look behind the curtain, a log jam is taking place. Looking at the category of receiver only, I think this group of retired players all have a compelling case to be in.

Proudly from the University of Utah, Smith was a punt and kick return star in his early NFL days.

RETIRED RECEIVERS THAT DESERVE TO BE IN THE HALL:

RANDY MOSS: “Freak”. Legend. His go up and get it, and ball skills were a ten. Many fans would say Moss is the most talented wide receiver they have ever seen.

TERRELL OWENS: His initial power off the line of scrimmage was intense. It’s obvious T. O. is a Hall of Famer( just ask him)! Owens work ethic, skill, and level of dominance attained are all top shelf historically.

CALVIN JOHNSON: Johnson was the ultimate specimen to ever play wide receiver. I remember a few late game situations where “Megatron” was triple covered by Cowboys players. Each time the ball was in the air, it felt like the odds were 60 percent in his favor…. Calvin caught all three of them.

DREW PEARSON: Pearson was the NFC’s best receiver in the 1970’s. He is widely considered one of the greatest clutch players in football history.

CLIFF BRANCH: An elegant yards per catch guy, Branch is the only Raider to play on all three title teams. At the time of his retirement he ranked number one in total post season catches and yardage.

HINES WARD: His Pittsburgh Steelers team records speak volumes. Ward has two rings and a Super Bowl MVP. His niche of being an all time great blocker helps get him in.

ISAAC BRUCE: His 80 yard TD grab was the go ahead score in Super Bowl 34. Bruce does not have near the name he should for how awesome he was. He’s like his generations Art Monk.

STERLING SHARPE: Sharpe did not miss a game in his seven years. His career ended after a serious neck injury following a season where he scored 18 times. At his best, Sharpe was in the same class as Irvin, Carter, Reed, and Tim Brown.

TORRY HOLT: His routes were precise and his hands were like football magnets. From 2000-2009 Holt’s 868 receptions and 12, 594 yards are the highest totals, for any decade in league history.

REGGIE WAYNE: Reggie was a steady pro who likely left a HOF resume on the field. He played in 21 post season games. At the time of his retirement, no player had more receiving yardage versus Bill Belichick led teams.

ANQUAN BOLDIN: I watched every snap of his first pro game at Detroit. He had 217 beast like yards. Boldin was eventually the go to guy on a world champion. He played a month after having seven plates and 40 screws put in his face.

STEVE SMITH: Nobody wore that chip on the shoulder better than Steve Smith. He was so fierce, and was one of the top playmakers of his generation. He’d catch it, pivot the other direction and it would look like he was part of the field.

ANDRE JOHNSON: Some guys should simply be awarded in the category of “what was your level while you played”? Johnson was elite at his job. Three times he had 1, 500 plus yard seasons.

RECEIVERS THAT STILL DESERVE A LOOK:

Chad Johnson

Rod Smith

Gary Clark

Harold Carmichael

Henry Ellard

Otis Taylor

Wes Welker

Larry Fitzgerald will be a first ballot guy when he’s done. Guys like Antonio Brown can think ahead to how the yellow jacket may fit them. The game will continue to be full of volume passing totals. More receivers are getting in this long line to be recognized. Who else deserves to be on my list?

Tony Romo leaves the game of football as one of its most polarizing characters. He was all time talented, and highly criticized. Some of the heat was fair because he and his teams did not win enough big games. He also could melt down with the best of them over his first seven seasons. Truth is, Romo’s overrated Cowboys teams helped him become the most underrated quarterback of his generation. While he had a handful of star level seasons, 2014 was his finest work. This was the best offensive team he ever played on. This effort was more than just Romo’s remarkable peak. You’ll soon agree it was one of the most efficient, clutch seasons in the 97 year history of the National Football League.

SETTING THE SCENE

Tony was coming into 2014 off his second back surgery in as many years. He was now 34 years old and his health was a major question mark for the first time in his career. He was held out of practice on Wednesday’s all year long. Dallas had the worst defense in the league the previous season. This Cowboys team was “expected” to win 7 games.

In the season opener at home I didn’t expect Romo to have his legs. He struggled to push the ball down the field. He threw three first half picks. The 49ers had their way with the Cowboys 28-17.

Week 2 at Tennessee. I thought Tony’s body looked stiff and his ball was coming out wobbly. He was like a shell of the young, spry athlete he once was. It went overlooked because Dallas won, number nine did not turn it over, and the ground game was elite.

Week 3 at St. Louis. After Romo throws a pick six late in the second quarter, It’s 21-3 Rams. In that moment, this season was looking very bleak for Tony and his team.

Week 8 vs the Redskins. Romo receives a knee in the back. The result was two fractured transverse process and a cracked rib. He comes back to play late in the game in an eventual Redskins victory. He misses the next week (28-17 loss to Arizona). He comes back 12 days later in a flak jacket.

WINNING/LOSING/CLUTCH

(These are the three areas every QB is harshly judged in the ultimate team sport).

Romo was 12-3 as a starter. (League best winning percentage).

He was 8-0 on the road. (Fourth QB to accomplish this. Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, and Joe Montana did it twice).

With the NFC East crown at stake, the Colts were the Cowboys opponent. Romo was on fire, converting on 16 straight passes. He had 4 touchdown strikes in a 42-7 route. Tony finished 18-20. It was only the 24th time in NFL history a player completed 90 percent of his attempts.

Playoff game vs Detroit: The best defense in the league belonged to these Lions. They beat Tony down and sacked him six times. Detroit was up 20-7 with under three minutes left in the third quarter. Romo made multiple plays in crunch time and hit Terrance Williams for the game winner.

Playoff game at Green Bay: Tony goes 15-19 throwing the ball. With four plus minutes remaining, Dallas was down five points on the 33 yard line. The intense situation was fourth down and two. On an incredibly daring play, Romo threw a beautiful ball 35 yards down the field. He gave Dez Bryant the right opportunity. Things did not work out, and the Packers advanced to the NFC championship game.

The Cowboys faced a deficit in 13 of his 17 games.

Tony tied for a league high, five game winning drives.

He had a passer rating of 133.7 in December. The best mark of all time for the month.

His completion percentage in December was 74.8%, the second best mark ever for the month.

Over the last six games (4 reg season, 2 playoffs) his TD to pick ratio was 16/1.

When trailing, in the last four minutes of games…Romo was 11 of 15 passing. This included seven first downs, three touchdowns, and zero picks.

DOMINANCE

Look at where Romo finished in the following crucial categories:

Number one in passer rating (113.2). (Only six seasons have ever been better).

Number one in QBR (81.5).

Number one in completion percentage (69.9). (Only seven seasons have ever been better).

Number one in yards per attempt (8.5).

Number one in touchdown percentage. He threw a td pass on 7.8% of his throws.

Only player to ever have six games in a season with a rating over 135.0.

From week two of the season to the Cowboys second playoff game, Romo had 37 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions.

HONORS/PERSPECTIVE

NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December

He was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl.

Named Second-Team All-Pro

Finished in third place for NFL Most Valuable Player (with teammate DeMarco Murray).

This was a competitive MVP race. Aaron Rodgers may be the most talented QB ever, and was a fine choice as the winner. JJ Watt was in his most dominant form. DeMarco was a beast, and helped muddy the voting waters. Tom Brady’s legend was also in the mix.

Tony didn’t sniff a Super Bowl ring. I think he will come up short of the Hall of Fame. He never got the credit for the heavy lifting he did for mostly average teams. He was a low-level star with issues, not the bum many painted him to be. There is a reason this QB himself, and his fans can be at peace. For an 18 game window in 2014, nobody on earth played professional football better than Tony Romo did. Respect that.

Even as a fan opposing Odell that night, a catch that like that made me accept the moments pain easier.

It was Sunday night, November 23rd 2014. The Dallas Cowboys had come to Metlife Stadium to take on their rival the New York Giants. Early in the second quarter Eli Manning threw a deep ball and what happened next was amazing. Beckham Jr. snagged the ball out of the air like Spider-Man. This 43 yard touchdown was better than spectacular. I remember appreciating it while being disgusted at the same time. It put the Giants up 14 to 3. This play is a big deal two years later. I think it deserves the hype, and remains one of the great catches I have ever seen in the NFL.

However, I’m a Cowboys fan.The Odell grab is so celebrated and replayed, It’s often used to mock Brandon Carr and the Dallas defense. Please remember how this contest ended. Tony Romo completed six straight passes on his teams final drive. Dez Bryant caught the go ahead score with a minute to play. Unbelievable catch Beckham. You are scary good. My biggest memory from that night was the final score. Cowboys 31 Giants 28.

I’m only rating the quarterbacks that I have seen play near or at their best in my time watching football. These will only be players from the mid 1980’s to 2015. I saw the great Dan Fouts for example (Jim Plunkett, Danny White, Joe Theismann), but will not include him in this ranking. I did not see him enough or at his best. Active players on this list remain in position to climb it. These are the 30 best quarterbacks I’ve watched play in the National Football League as of February 2015.

JUST MISSED THE CUT: (Bernie Kosar, Dave Krieg, Matt Hasselbeck)

Luck is the coolest, baddest, nerd ever.

#30– RUSSELL WILSON (Active) Three years ago I would not have guessed Wilson would have got my attention this early in his career. He has a knack for making plays at the right time. After throwing an interception to lose the Super Bowl, I would trust his attitude and self security to bounce back more than any player in pro football.

#29– MATTHEW STAFFORD (Active) Stafford has left me with some painful memories burning the Cowboys late in games. He gets rid of the ball at all kinds of odd angles. His banner season to date was 2011 where he passed for 5,038 yards and 41 scores.

#28– MATT RYAN (Active) His first pass a professional was a 62 yard touchdown. Ryan has been a star caliber player since and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. In only seven seasons he has 27 game winning drives.

#27– MARK BRUNELL (1994-2011) Mark was a mobile lefty who was sneaky good. He helped his Jaguars upset the Denver Broncos in the 1996 playoffs and was also part of a team that won a post season contest 62-7. Brunell played in three pro bowls.

#26– MICHAEL VICK (Active) Vick is the most dynamic runner to have ever played QB in the NFL. It seemed like he could run for eight yards on accident. For a short period of time, I thought Michael was one of the 10 best players in the entire league.

#25– ANDREW LUCK (Active) Andrew was a lock for stardom from day one. He’s bright, hungry, and has powerful legs. It is obvious he can make every throw and is a team first guy.

#24– RICH GANNON (1987-2004) Rich was a solid QB before he exploded for 105 touchdown passes over four seasons as an Oakland Raider. He ran the west coast offense beautifully and is the only athlete to ever be the player of the game at the Pro Bowl in back to back seasons.

#23– JOEFLACCO(Active) Flacco is a nice deep ball thrower who has already proven his big game credentials with 10 playoff wins. In his 2012 world title run he tossed 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Romo has the second best, fourth quarter passer rating (102.2) in NFL history.

#22– PHIL SIMMS (1979-1993) Phil was part role player part star. His 22-25 passing performance in Super Bowl 21 remains the standard for completion percentage. It seems forgotten he was 11-3 as a starter before getting hurt in 1990. He set the table for another New York Giants championship.

#21– BOOMER ESIASON (1984-1997) Boomer was the first guy to use the no huddle offense for consistent stretches. He had a cool play fake where he would crouch low. Esiason helped the 1988 Bengals win the American Football Conference and he was named the NFL Most Valuable Player.

#20– RANDALL CUNNINGHAM (1985-2001) Randall was one of the most exotic talents to step on a field. He was an MVP Caliber player as a dual threat at the end of the 1980’s and early 1990’s. Cunningham was at the top of his game as a pass first player a decade later leading the explosive Minnesota Vikings inches from an NFC crown.

#19– TONY ROMO (Active) Romo’s ability to escape defenders and extend plays is all time great. Tony was named “NFL Offensive Player of the Month” for December in 2009 and 2014. Even Romo’s biggest critics praise his toughness.

#18– PHILLIP RIVERS (Active) He annoys you if he’s against you, and you would love him if he was yours. Rivers is full of grit and competitive juice. Over his time in the NFL he has been the best of the second tier QB stars. He has quietly been building a resume that has a chance to become Hall of Fame worthy.

I will never forget McNair’s tenacity on a Super Bowl drive that ended a yard short.

#17– DREW BLEDSOE (1993-2006) The Patriots had made the playoffs six times in 33 years before Bledsoe arrived. In his first five years they made the post season three times including a trip to Super Bowl 31. He stepped in for a hurt Tom Brady in the 2001 AFC Championship game to make help ensure his presence was felt in this modern New England dynasty.

#16– STEVE MCNAIR (1995-2007) Steve had a stout presence in the pocket and threw the ball with ease. He worked around lack of practice due to injuries better than anyone.

#15– DONOVAN MCNABB (1999-2011) McNabb rolling to the right on third and seven was a scary sight. He was an intelligent and crafty playmaker. He carried offensive units most of his career.

#14– ELI MANNING (Active) Manning was the most difficult player for me to rank. He is the owner of two of the sharpest post season runs in league history. Beating the 18-0 Patriots was the top upset of any NFL game in my lifetime. Eli is almost more clutch than he is good.

#13– WARREN MOON (1984-2000) Moon was not drafted by an NFL team so he tore up Canada instead. Even after losing years due to discrimination, Warren Moon lit up the National Football League. He was the smooth operator of the Houston Oilers run and shoot offense in the early 1990’s. He had a loud clear cadence and embarrassed those that doubted him by finding a permanent home in Canton Ohio.

#12– JIM KELLY (1986-1996) Jim played in the K-Gun offense in which he called his own plays. He was linebacker tough. Losing in four consecutive Super Bowls is an amazing, under respected achievement by his Buffalo Bills teams.

John had the definition of a rifle arm.

#11– KURT WARNER (1998-2009) Kurt was 1-2 in Super Bowls but owns the three highest passing yard efforts in the games history. Getting the Arizona Cardinals within a couple of minutes of a world title ensured his prominent place among passers.

#10– BEN ROETHLISBERGER (Active) Fans tend to mention that Ben played poorly in his first Super Bowl victory. They forget that he led the Steelers to three straight playoff road wins. During that stretch he completed 68% of his passes to go with seven touchdowns and one pick. “Big Ben” also made a game saving tackle at Indianapolis in the Divisional round.

#9– TROY AIKMAN (1989-2000) Legendary broadcaster Pat Summerall loved to gush over Aikman’s accuracy. Troy could throw the deep out with his eyes closed. He sacrificed his stats for footballs best running game. It paid off with three rings, a Super Bowl MVP, and a 13-4 record as a playoff starter.

#8– DREW BREES (Active) The Saints were in Dallas Thanksgiving day 2010. The Cowboys were up 27 to 23 with three plus minutes remaining. My stepdaughter texts me, “Cowboys are gonna win.” I wrote back, “Three minutes is a lifetime for Drew Brees.” Drew completed a 55 yard pass, followed by a 12 yard touchdown to win the game 30-27. Some guys are just too good to ever let you get comfortable.

#7– AARON RODGERS (Active) Aaron carries himself with the appropriate arrogance for his job description. He’s agile, with an accurate whip for a right arm. In the 2015 post season he led his team to victory on essentially one leg. As a move to throw talent, Rodgers is the best I’ve ever seen play the position.

#6– BRETT FAVRE (1991-2010) Brett was entertaining television. He had the enthusiasm of a young child and the swagger of Han Solo walking into a bar fight. Favre was a gunslinger to the core and earned the recognition of being an iron man. Counting the playoffs, Brett played in an incredible 321 straight games.

#5– DAN MARINO (1983-1999) Nobody had a cat quick release like Dan. He also manipulated the pocket with the best of them. NFL Films co creator Steve Sabol said, “Watching Marino in the pocket was like watching a great matador. With just a little bend of the waste, a jab step forward, a step back, he could avoid the horns.”

#4– STEVE YOUNG (1985-1999) What Dan Marino was to yardage and touchdown passes, Steve Young was to completion percentage and passer rating. He was a superior athlete who had no peer regarding clean, efficient play. Steve was consumed with the mental test the game of football provided. In the end he received an A plus.

#3– PEYTON MANNING (Active) Manning has made himself the face of preparation and in-game chess play. The five time MVP gets sacked less than any QB who has played. Peyton is smashing the NFL record books. You know you are unbelievable at football when you have 70,000 passing yards, 530 touchdown passes, a world title, and fans say you need to do more.

I’m projecting by this Thanksgiving (2015) I’ll consider Brady the best QB to ever play.

#2– JOHN ELWAY (1983-1998) Before winning consecutive rings to end his career many people claimed John was a “choker.” What I saw was a guy carry three pretty good Denver teams to Super Bowl losses while being the best clutch player in the AFC. Elway had the strongest arm I’ve seen and could throw the ball 50 yards across his body to the opposite side of the field.

#1– JOE MONTANA (1979-1993)& TOM BRADY (Active) This tie is not a cop-out on my part or an excuse to mention 31 quarterbacks. The selection is perfect for me right now. Montana has always been the clear-cut best QB of my lifetime. The morning of Super Bowl 49, I had Tom Brady a close second. After Tom’s dynamite fourth quarter, and taking home his fourth World Championship, I feel Brady deserves to be categorized as Joe Montana’s equal. Joe moved much better than Tom. Brady has been more durable and prolific. Joe played on slightly better, more dominant teams. Tom won big over a longer window of time with a higher variety of teammates. Joe was cool and Tom was fiery. They were the same guy from the neck up and the two best quarterbacks I’ve ever seen play in the National Football League.

This years NFL MVP takes on a little more interest than most years. No player ran away with it and several guys deserve mention. To win this honor you need to have played for a team with a winning record. It’s an award slanted towards rewarding offensive skill position players. The following rankings are only for performances and circumstances in the 2014 NFL regular season. My 2014 NFL Most Valuable Player’s:

#12– Le’Veon Bell (Pittsburgh Steelers ) He has a nice hesitation step, and skips like a rock on water. Bell’s 1,361 yards led the AFC and are the most ever recorded without a fumble. Le’Veon carried the Pittsburgh offense down the stretch with his versatility. His 83 catches glued the Steelers offense together.

#11– Marshawn Lynch (Seattle Seahawks) Lynch has become the model power back of his generation. He sets the offensive tone for the defending world champions. When “Beast Mode” gets loose on long runs his team and fans get jolts of energy. Marshawn made more trips to the end zone (17) than any other player.

#10– Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) He visualizes himself having success on the field, and I keep seeing his positive results. Wilson has a knack for making timely plays. He reeks of intangibles and self security. To be 16th in overall rushing is impressive. His 7.2 yards per carry average was by far the best among the leading 40 rushers.

#9– Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) The future Hall of Famer keeps carving teams up. Big Ben continues to shed defenders and is getting the ball out quicker. He set a Steelers record with 4,952 yards to go with 32 touchdowns to just 9 picks. In back to back victories over Baltimore and Indianapolis Ben put up a stunning 12 touchdowns, 862 yards, and zero interceptions.

#8– Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers) The 5-10, 180 lb. Brown just torched pro football. His 129 catches are second most in league history and his 1,698 yards are sixth. Brown adjusts nicely to deep balls and makes nice concentration grabs. In the Division title game Antonio scored on a 71 yard punt return and a 63 yard TD catch with three minutes left to seal the deal for the Steelers.

#7– Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts) Luck is full of heart, brains, and leg strength. He’s like the coolest nerd ever. Andrew won 11 games for the third straight year. Luck topped everyone with 40 touchdown passes and 10, 300 yard plus outings.

Murray and Romo were both dominant in 2014. The offensive line and Dez Bryant were huge factors on the team. This hurt both of their chances to win the award.

#6– Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos) The story line regarding Manning this season ended up being about his advanced age, the slippage of his velocity, and some late year bruises. All he did was win 12 games, and throw for 4,780 yards and 39 touchdowns. He’s still the games best conductor and can almost think the ball to guys. When it comes to the way Peyton is judged, he is a victim of his own success.

#5– DeMarco Murray (Dallas Cowboys) Murray put on a show of endurance and toughness in 2014. The team was deliberate giving DeMarco the ball and he responded by having a record-breaking season. His 392 carries and a franchise high 1,845 yards were the identity of this years Dallas Cowboys. He added 12, 100 yard games and made the NFL All-Pro First Team. Murray playing five days after hand surgery was inspiration to his team blowing out the Colts to win the NFC Eastern crown.

Brady is an amazing 160-47 as a regular season starter.

#4– Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys) Romo played his finest ball in 2014. He led the NFL in QBR, passer rating, completion percentage and was 12-3 as a starter. Tony was by far the best quarterback in second halfs, on the road, and in December. His 133.7 passer rating in December was the highest total in the history of the month. He’s now embarrassed a league that did not draft him.

#3– Tom Brady (New England Patriots) After getting beat down by the Chiefs in week five, a large portion of the media yelled out that Brady was done and the Patriots had not provided him with adequate help. All Tom did is lead his team to seven straight wins that started off with a touchdown ratio of 18-1. The bridge to the season was built, and once again the AFC road to the Super Bowl goes through New England. Tom Brady is a football legend, who is not done chasing the title of “greatest ever.”

#2– J.J. WATT (Houston Texans) A defensive player on a non playoff team must crash this party. Watt is the best defensive lineman since Reggie White. It’s fair to say his current level is not just being the best pro player on D, but the best in the league every Sunday. J.J. is a grid iron warrior who can do it all. He finished the campaign with 20.5 sacks, 5 fumble recoveries and 5 touchdowns.

Rodgers is the best run to throw talent I’ve ever seen play quarterback.

#1– Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) Rodgers reminds me that you want your pilot, surgeon, and QB to be cocky. His 38 touchdowns to 5 interceptions speaks for itself. The Packers finished undefeated at home behind his 25 TD’s and zero picks. Coming back from a calf injury in the season finale to beat Detroit for the NFC North title was a good look. Rodgers is the best skill position player in football. In the end, he was the easiest player to justify as my 2014 NFL MVP.

You know Tony was good in 2013 if David Schultz slipped up and called him a “stud”.

In 2008 Tony Romo was at his “most prolific and probably most athletic.” In 2009 he had his best season in the most “traditional sense”.” The 2013 version of Romo was “the best the player has been so far.” You have to consider the money he had recently been paid, the criticism he got for it, and the new level of responsibility he would take on. In part because of a league high number of injuries to defensive lineman, the 2013 Cowboys were mostly bad on defense. Against the pass, this unit bled yards on a historical level. Tony was great this year! By “great” I mean he beyond did his part for his team, and even without a playoff birth was a top seven or eight NFL quarterback. Romo was way more clutch than not, but the story will come out different. He will once again get the blame because of a few reasons. It’s a quarterbacks league, his past mistakes, and mostly his high-profile team leads to him getting attention but constantly snubbed of credit. He also gave his critics two unforgettable games where his “Romo blunders” cost his football team the game or at least a chance.

Did you see Romo throw two late picks against Green Bay to help the Cowboys finish blowing a 26 to 3 lead this last December? I know you did. All of you couldn’t stop talking about it. It was a big game. It was being shown in a prime spot. Then there was the classic at home against the Denver Broncos. Romo put on a clinic that day. His 506 yards passing and five touchdowns were a product of his all time great pocket awareness, and escapeability. He led the Cowboys to a 48 point tie late in the game. With a chance to win, Tony threw the ball to the Broncos who came out on top 51 to 48. It was a cruel, almost fitting dagger. It pains me to admit that game is probably the best 60 minute nut shell example of how most fans view Tony Romo.

The next morning Michael Smith of ESPN said, “You know we always say the quarterback gets too much credit when he wins and too much blame when he loses? As far as his critics go, Tony Romo is the ONLY quarterback I’ve seen that gets NONE of the credit when Dallas wins, and ALL of the blame when they lose.”

Romo always gets his numbers. This time around brought 3,828 yards passing while completing 64% of his attempts. The 31 touchdowns ranked second in the NFC, and the 10 interceptions were pretty elite for a player known for turnovers. He fumbled a career low four times (one lost). Tony threw away balls at the right time, and took smart sacks. He was 8 and 7 as a starter, but 5 and 0 in the most crucial division games. He now has more yards and completions than any QB in NFL history through their first 100 starts.

Avid Sportsman Tony Abbott is never shy or dishonest about his Romo opinions. On five different occasions this year in the middle of down to the wire Cowboys games, Abbott proclaimed “the SEASON was on #9 right here”. He was not putting just each of these games is on one guy, he was saying the entire temperature and direction of the franchise right now, is on Romo. Lets look at the five contests.

November 3rd VS Minnesota Vikings: The Cowboys were coming off a one point horror show loss at Detroit. They were 4 and 4 and could not afford to lose this ballgame. Dallas was down three points to the Vikings with 2:44 left in regulation. The Cowboys had the ball on their own 10 yard line. Romo and his right arm accounted for all 90 yards that ended with a go ahead touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining. Other than winning, I really enjoyed knowing my South Dakota family members/Vikings fans watched the same thing I did.

November 24th at New York Giants: New York had won four in a row and talked ridiculous trash all week. The temperature was 22 degrees and the wind 27 mph. Dallas let go of a 21 to 6 third quarter lead. They found themselves tied at 21, with the ball on their own 20 yard line, with 4:45 left in the game. In methodical fashion, Tony led the Cowboys on a 16 play drive. He spread the ball around, he needled the Giants to death and made them look worse the bigger the play became. Dan Bailey knocked in a close range field goal to win the game. This kept the Cowboys season alive, and essentially knocked the Giants out.

Since 2006, Tony Romo has 23 game winning drives in the 4th quarter or overtime. Only Peyton Manning has more.

November 28th VS OAKLAND RAIDERS: This game was an uphill climb from the opening play. The Cowboys first kick return attempt became a fumble and a Raiders score. Oakland led 21 to 7 with under two minutes remaining in the first half. Tony completed five straight passes to set up a short running touchdown. In half number two, Romo completed all 12 of his passes and led the team to a 31 to 24 victory.

December 15th VS Green Bay: I mentioned this game is where the focus will stay. Tony was having a good day helping Dallas build a 23 point half time lead. He also threw a clutch TD to Dez mid way through the fourth quarter as the Packers mounted a furious comeback. The qb then put the cherry on the collapse by throwing two late picks. The first INT was extra bad. The kind of play you want to pretend didn’t happen. The Packers played good, but this was one of the most embarrassing losses in franchise history.

December 22nd at Washington Redskins: As things ended up playing out, the Cowboys had to win this game to keep the season alive and to set up an NFC East title game with the Eagles. Dallas was down nine points at the beginning of the last quarter. Romo hurt his back and was experiencing shocking pains down his legs. He decided to put on another display of bad ass clutch play. The stand out plays were a fourth down and six completed for 20 yards to Cole Beasley, and a scramble then 51 yard hurl to Terrance Williams. The Boys failed to punch in the football on three straight running plays. It was fourth down and the year from the 10 yard line. Tony showed off his footwork and patience as he hit DeMarco Murray for a game winning touchdown pass and the best moment for the Cowboys in 2013.

I have to mention it: October 20th at Philly in a one score game late in the third quarter, after throwing a bad interception..Tony leads a drive where he completes seven out of eight passes for 69 yards. In the process he converts five first downs and a slant pattern for a score to put Dallas up 17 to 3 where the score would stay.

Abbott is a smart guy who does not think that Romo is as good as I do. I had to note, that Romo delivered enormous clutch plays and succeeded in 80% of those challenges put out there.

The night after the Redskins win on “NFL Gameday Final” Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk said, “If you really pay attention to it, the Cowboys constantly are in the position that Tony Romo HAS to make a play. Your team is built to have one guy have to constantly make or break the game. That is why Tony Romo is always in the hot seat.”

Everyone jumped head first in how and why Romo changed a key play late against Green Bay to a pass. Did anyone mention ANY of the plays he changed in ANY of his clutch moments? They did not. After Tony sacrificed his body and sold out in the pressure at Washington to give Dallas a chance did anyone take a breath to celebrate it? They did not. What I heard instead was, “If Kyle Orton plays good next week it will make Romo look so Bad.” I also loved the “Romo would have choked against Philly” card. He could have easily thrown a pass to cost Dallas the East. Without his pressure packed performances, the Cowboys would have never been there.

Romo has a lot to prove to be a truly great NFL player.That doesn’t mean I’m not tired of him playing like the low-level star he is, and getting the respect of an overpaid backup.

By saying “favorite” I’m thinking about who are the players I cheered for with the most emotion, watched, and followed the most.

#25– PAU GASOL If you’re rooting against him he seems very irritating. Pau is one of the nicest, smartest people in the NBA. The skill he brings to the game makes up for any “soft” labels. My reason for becoming a bigger Gasol fan are his contributions to helping Kobe. It was obvious Gasol was going to be the perfect with Bryant.

#24– JASON WITTEN Jason has always been an easy player to be proud of as a Cowboys fan. He is farm boy tough, with finesse receiving skills. He is also a great leader. Witten is a player that fans of other teams say is a stud, No matter how big the Cowboys hater, they all respect Jason Witten.

#23- TIGER WOODS I admit it. I’m “that guy” when it comes to golf. Tiger Woods is the singular reason I began to take any interest in the sport. Through Tiger I learned Championship golf is awesome to watch. The surroundings are filled with beauty and singing birds, while you could cut the tension with a knife. Woods greatness was the initial reason I watched, now it’s to see how for he can climb back.

#22- TERRANCE NEWMAN Terrance looked and dressed like the model football player every Sunday. He looked going out to dinner clean, much like Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders did on the field. Newman had 32 interceptions and four touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys. He played in 16 games six times and was a two time pro bowler. I thought Cowboys fans turned against him too quickly. Years later, he is the oldest active starter in the NFL.

#21- KEVIN GARNETT I was a huge KG fan when he played in Minnesota. I was attached to his journey of playoff failures. I watched Garnett play a ton as a Wolve. He would give someone a fist pound every time they shot a free throw. When he shot one, make or miss he was looking for a pound himself. I was shocked how much he did it, but realized KG is a “team is family guy” to the max. It was an interesting ride to watch him take his criticism and be the winner in the end. Ironically, I didn’t enjoy his title very much because he smashed Kobe to get it.

#20- LARRY BIRD My respect of Larry Bird came from being such a big Magic Johnson fan. The two players were so connected and so similar in their gifts that they pushed the level of play in the NBA to a new standard. The WAY that Larry was a great player was always intriguing to me. He was a methodical, cold blooded player who was seeing the game on a genius level. His swagger and ability to back it up made him an intimidating opponent. Larry Bird is a bad ass legend.

#19 JOHN STOCKTON He was so good at making decisions and executing it forced me to see the game in a new way. John was all business all the time and could not be phased. In a late 1980’s game in Houston, the Jazz were down by one with seconds remaining. My parents and I were watching on TV and rooting for Utah. Stockton rimmed out a 20 footer as the clock hit zero. I remember clapping my hands with some satisfaction for several seconds. My mom said, “why are you clapping”? I said, “John Stockton, wide open 20 footer with the game on the line? You will take that 82 times mom.”

#21- DEION SANDERS No player has ever exuded more of a swagger. Deion was the ultimate walk it talk it player. He would dance and make sure the entire football world could see him before taking a punt return in the biggest of games and situations. Sanders made him self so vulnerable and excelled at the highest level.

#17-HULK HOGAN

#16 DWYANE WADE I’ve always been a “D Wade guy”. A few years into Wades and Lebron James careers I told Russ Riggs “Wade is as good as James right now.” Let’s just say Riggs freaked and I was put in a position to “choose” who would be better all time Wade or Lebron, and my pride and I said “Wade”. For the record, that same season Dwyane was the Finals MVP and in my opinion the best player in the game. I knew what Lebron James was going to be and is now, I just had enough faith in Wade to put him up against anyone. Arguing with Russ made me more of a Wade fan. Three time Champion, Dwyane Wade.

#15-MIKE TYSON He’s not just a great actor. Mike was on top of the boxing world when I was a teenager. As I’ve gotten older I’ve heard boxing pundants almost diminish him on an all time level and focus on his lack of “all around tools.” I’m not a boxing expert. There was a window of time where my peers saw Tyson on that Michael Jordan, Gretzky, level in his dominance. He was also the best draw. He was so good at knocking guys out it often became how quickly would it happen? I would pay to watch Tyson fight a garden snake. The night he bit Holyfields ear was a big blow. It was hard to accept him being human at his craft. Extra human I guess you could say. I was at a party defending Tyson to the bitter end. The group let me know I was an ass clown.

#14 TONY DORSETT The first Dallas Cowboys game I remember seeing, Tony Dorsett had a 99.5 yard Touchdown run with only 9 teammates on the field. Dorsett was also the first sports poster I ever owned. In fifth grade Cody Jensen (Redskins fan) was trying to get me interested to trade for his Dorsett football card. I remember him holding the card out and saying, “do you know who this guy is?” That memory galvanised to me how cool and respected Dorsett was.

#13-JAMES WORTHY I graduated in the same high school class with Derek Smith. As he dominated the high school football scene in Utah, I wrote a story about him in the school newspaper. The biggest thing I remember taking away was Derek was humble but not in awe. He believed in himself. He went on to dominate at Snow College, went to Arizona State to build the momentum, and was eventually the 80th player taken in the 1997 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He started at Linebacker for his career and led his Skins and 49ers in tackles many times. It was so fun to follow someone you know challenge himself against the best players in the world, and succeed. I gushed the first time I heard John Madden say, “I tell ya what, that Derek Smith can tackle.” Everyone from American Fork High School class of 1993 is so proud of Derek. He made us feel like we all made it.

#12 HAKEEM OLAJUWON With the “Dream” I will always think of my Aunt Laurie and Uncle Ron who would watch him play in person. Hakeem was a humble soul, and at his best was as good as any NBA player has ever played the game.

#11-LARRY ALLEN The football world was seemingly just introduced to Larry Allen this August. After being very quiet for his entire career, Allen gave a funny, from the heart speach at the Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio. Larry Allen is the most dominant player I’ve ever seen in the NFL. I’ve been saying this since 2001. He would not only win almost every play, he shoved All Pro players around for a living. He punched guys each play with the same arms and chest that could bench 700 lbs. It was nice to see a “10” level type player, finally get recognition. Of course he gets his credit when he’s retired. The life of an offensive lineman. When I would watch the Cowboys game for the second time each week, Larry Allen is the only player I would watch on offense.

#10-DEREK SMITH

#9- BYRON SCOTT

#8- Kirby Puckett I liked and followed Fred Mcgriff, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mark Mcgwire. Kirby puckett was my strongest tie to Major League Baseball. My early interest was created by visits to see family in Watertown South Dakota. They neighbored the state of Minnesota where Puckett played his brilliant career. I remember the Summer of 1989 in Highland Utah. Every day I would get excited to walk to end of the driveway and see the Twins box score in the paper to see Kirby’s stats. I would watch entire games just to see Puckett bat four times and maybe run down a few fly balls. He is one of the best players to play in the Major Leagues. I’m proud I picked him as “my guy” in baseball.

#7- Michael Irvin If you were cheering against Dallas, Irvin on his knees showing you it was a first down would be annoying. To the opposition it would look self serving and over celebratory. Truth is Michael Irvin was the soul of the 1990’s Dallas Cowboys. He was their hardest worker, and voice of leadership. Michael would often start the practice day(yes, often directly after a good party) walking past a lot of guys bigger and stronger than him screaming “Who’s going to out work ME today?” I’ll never forget his three touchdown game his rookie year to lead his team over the Redskins. He believed he was the best. He spent time as the second best receiver in the NFL. Michael played a leading role on a three time Champion and the team of the decade.

#6-MICHAEL JORDAN

#5-TONY ROMO

#4- Emmitt Smith- Every time Emmitt got off the ground I felt grateful. It wasn’t because Smith was injury prone, it was because I felt like he was destined to do GREAT things in the NFL. I needed him healthy and he did it. He was a brawler with much more “make you miss” than he is known for. He was a pass blocker, pass catcher, and would make long runs despite not having great speed. Jim Brown was the most dominant back. Walter Payton was the most complete and Barry was the most elusive. Emmitt Smith is the most accomplished running back in league history. He always has credit taken away from him because he played behind some great offensive lines. All I know is Emmitt has the best looking trophy case among the great backs, Look him up(NFL.com).

#3-KOBE BRYANT I knew Kobe would be an NBA legend the first time I saw his eyeballs and heard his voice. I did not even need a high school highlight. Having told dozens of friends and sports commentators my Kobe predictions, set up most to doubt my enthusiastic take on this guy. Kobe was not as likeable and unselfish as he could have been early on. He also had some similar moves and mannerisms of Michael Jordan. Fans resented Kobe and saw him as a pretender for a lengthy stretch. I’ve seen Kobe play more than I’ve ever seen another athlete, and it’s not close. I’ve told this to Kobe himself. I picked the right guy to follow. What a supreme player and competitor. It’s hard to believe he’s still playing, and can still add to his all time status. How could so many of you doubted Kobe Bryant??

#2-HERSCHEL WALKER was like a super hero to me. In a rough era of Cowboys football he was the lone star. His trade to Minnesota was a huge deal to me. I followed Herschel everywhere he played.

#1- EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON November 7th, 1991 was the day Earvin Johnson announced he had the “HIV virus” and would have to retire from the game. I could not move my legs for 45 minutes. This was a moment in a young mans life where you realize you care too much about sports. I loved Magic. I went back to my high school and defended him to the core as we started to get into heavier issues as a group while further educating ourselves along the way. I admired the player and his personality to the point that I naturally took on his criticisms. I acted like I was defending close Uncle. People did not sign my name when writing in my yearbook that Spring. Instead they called me “Magic”.